What are the main factors that influence a Fire Fighter's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Fire Fighter's salary?

A Fire Fighter's salary grows with experience: a Fire Fighter I (1-3 years)earns $45,798, a Fire Fighter (3-5 years)earns $63,415, a Fire Captain (5+ years)earns $86,402,

What are the highest paying states for a Fire Fighter?

Fire Fighter salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Fire Fighter roles are District of Columbia $70,768, California $70,499, Massachusetts $69,560. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Fire Fighter roles make?

Salaries for Fire Fighter level roles vary by specialization: Fighter Pilot: $144,325; Fire Captain: $85,403; Qualified Wildland Fire Fighter: $64,756; Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department Fire Fighter: $64,374; California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Fire Fighter: $63,246.

How do different companies affect a Fire Fighter's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Fire Fighter roles. Large, established industry leaders like Kpmg Us LLP ($114,295) and Warner Bros Discovery ($114,096) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $88,138.

Fire Fighter Salary in the United States

How much does a Fire Fighter make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Fire Fighter in the United States is $63,916 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $31.

However, a Fire Fighter's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $76,922
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $57,736 to $70,724
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $52,109

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Fire Fighter Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,724	$5,894	$1,360	$34
Average	$63,916	$5,326	$1,229	$31
25th Percentile	$57,736	$4,811	$1,110	$28

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Key Factors That Influence Fire Fighter Salaries

A Fire Fighter's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Fire Fighter Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Fire Fighters. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $70,768.
California: $70,499.
Massachusetts: $69,560.

District of Columbia $70,768 California $70,499 Massachusetts $69,560 Washington $69,304 New Jersey $69,278 Alaska $69,189 Connecticut $68,307 New York $67,949

Hawaii $66,805 Rhode Island $66,268 Maryland $65,904 Minnesota $65,405 Colorado $65,213 Illinois $65,149 Oregon $64,907 Delaware $64,728

New Hampshire $64,615 Virginia $64,363 Pennsylvania $63,628 Nevada $63,258 North Dakota $63,136 Michigan $62,944 Wisconsin $62,874 Vermont $62,733

Texas $62,344 Maine $62,318 Arizona $62,280 Ohio $62,235 Georgia $61,647 Indiana $61,353 Wyoming $61,295 Utah $61,206

Iowa $61,168 Kansas $60,861 Louisiana $60,771 North Carolina $60,739 Missouri $60,726 Florida $60,477 Montana $60,343 Nebraska $60,215

Kentucky $60,145 South Carolina $59,889 Tennessee $59,729 Idaho $59,665 New Mexico $59,199 Oklahoma $59,097 Alabama $58,720 South Dakota $58,087

Arkansas $57,742 West Virginia $57,556 Mississippi $57,000

Top Paying Cities for Fire Fighters

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $80,617
San Francisco: $79,825
Oakland: $78,054

San Jose, CA $80,617

San Francisco, CA $79,825

Oakland, CA $78,054

New York, NY $74,072

Queens Village, NY $73,593

Paramus, NJ $73,081

Passaic, NJ $73,018

Bergenfield, NJ $72,954

Stamford, CT $72,858

Huntington, NY $72,794

Newark, NJ $72,378

Bridgeport, CT $72,251

New Brunswick, NJ $72,040

Vallejo, CA $71,905

Middlesex, NJ $71,867

Somerset, NJ $71,810

Petaluma, CA $71,663

Santa Cruz, CA $71,413

Boston, MA $71,285

Monterey, CA $70,966

Fairbanks, AK $70,921

Los Angeles, CA $70,800

Washington, DC $70,768

Seattle, WA $70,653

Santa Rosa, CA $70,640

Juneau, AK $70,454

Orange, CA $70,244

Anchorage, AK $70,129

Anaheim, CA $70,084

Santa Ana, CA $69,988

Nassau, NY $69,950

Long Beach, CA $69,924

Danbury, CT $69,905

Santa Maria, CA $69,688

Everett, WA $69,675

Bremerton, WA $69,362

Trenton, NJ $69,240

Sacramento, CA $69,215

San Diego, CA $69,183

Brockton, MA $69,157

Tacoma, WA $69,131

Santa Barbara, CA $69,042

Lowell, MA $68,786

New Suffolk, NY $68,761

Nashua, NH $68,684

Lompoc, CA $68,582

Ventura, CA $68,518

Stockton, CA $68,499

New Haven, CT $68,371

Atlantic City, NJ $68,205

Hartford, CT $68,064

Modesto, CA $68,032

Poughkeepsie, NY $67,891

New Britain, CT $67,860

Olympia, WA $67,770

Kennewick, WA $67,770

New London, CT $67,757

Norwich, CT $67,738

Lawrence, MA $67,706

Bakersfield, CA $67,527

Riverside, CA $67,438

New Bedford, MA $67,438

Richland, WA $67,374

Portsmouth, NH $67,323

Vineland, NJ $67,310

San Bernardino, CA $67,259

Boulder, CO $67,080

Worcester, MA $67,029

Portland, OR $66,971

Saint Paul, MN $66,894

Minneapolis, MN $66,894

Philadelphia, PA $66,805

Honolulu, HI $66,466

Springfield, MA $66,242

Providence, RI $66,236

Chicago, IL $66,051

Bellingham, WA $65,974

Baltimore, MD $65,904

Chico, CA $65,744

Wilmington, DE $65,635

Pittsfield, MA $65,571

Manchester, NH $65,450

Spokane, WA $65,169

Denver, CO $65,162

Albany, NY $64,862

Troy, NY $64,836

Schenectady, NY $64,702

Burlington, VT $64,561

Portland, ME $64,338

Salem, OR $64,287

Yakima, WA $64,274

Ann Arbor, MI $64,255

Rochester, MN $64,076

Fresno, CA $64,044

Reno, NV $64,044

Milwaukee, WI $63,986

Detroit, MI $63,922

Allentown, PA $63,903

Carson City, NV $63,897

Houston, TX $63,801

Colorado Springs, CO $63,794

Syracuse, NY $63,763

Eugene, OR $63,641

Bismarck, ND $63,564

Gary, IN $63,564

Galveston, TX $63,564

Springfield, OR $63,513

Medford, OR $63,360

Fort Collins, CO $63,334

Austin, TX $63,283

Mesa, AZ $63,149

Phoenix, AZ $63,136

Dallas, TX $63,117

Reading, PA $63,079

Saint Cloud, MN $63,053

Concord, NH $62,996

Madison, WI $62,970

Utica, NY $62,797

Raleigh, NC $62,746

Las Vegas, NV $62,740

Rochester, NY $62,695

Des Moines, IA $62,689

Atlanta, GA $62,586

Battle Creek, MI $62,567

Salt Lake City, UT $62,548

Lancaster, PA $62,452

Champaign, IL $62,439

Harrisburg, PA $62,363

Durham, NC $62,305

Kansas City, MO $62,299

Kansas City, KS $62,286

Fort Worth, TX $62,280

Boca Raton, FL $62,254

Cleveland, OH $62,248

Columbus, OH $62,235

Pittsburgh, PA $62,229

Richmond, VA $62,203

Indianapolis, IN $62,190

Cincinnati, OH $62,107

Petersburg, VA $62,011

Billings, MT $61,871

Lansing, MI $61,871

Huntsville, AL $61,871

Lebanon, PA $61,864

Dayton, OH $61,858

Pueblo, CO $61,858

Appleton, WI $61,839

Buffalo, NY $61,813

Racine, WI $61,781

Charlotte, NC $61,775

Saint Louis, MO $61,756

Springfield, IL $61,730

Elkhart, IN $61,717

York, PA $61,717

Gastonia, NC $61,711

Benton Harbor, MI $61,711

Beaumont, TX $61,672

Lorain, OH $61,660

Toledo, OH $61,634

Binghamton, NY $61,602

Rock Hill, SC $61,596

Rockford, IL $61,564

Fargo, ND $61,532

Elyria, OH $61,532

Flagstaff, AZ $61,487

Fort Lauderdale, FL $61,449

Miami, FL $61,410

Duluth, MN $61,308

Bangor, ME $61,225

Cedar Rapids, IA $61,155

Louisville, KY $61,123

Grand Rapids, MI $61,110

Hialeah, FL $61,104

Casper, WY $61,014

Scranton, PA $60,937

New Orleans, LA $60,918

Virginia Beach, VA $60,912

Akron, OH $60,880

Peoria, IL $60,797

Sarasota, FL $60,784

Green Bay, WI $60,739

Baton Rouge, LA $60,707

Charleston, SC $60,695

Nashville, TN $60,675

Jamestown, NY $60,663

Davenport, IA $60,663

Tucson, AZ $60,631

Cheyenne, WY $60,611

Saint Petersburg, FL $60,592

Tampa, FL $60,579

Omaha, NE $60,567

Port Arthur, TX $60,541

Evansville, IN $60,541

Bradenton, FL $60,516

Santa Fe, NM $60,401

Orlando, FL $60,337

Clearwater, FL $60,266

Canton, OH $60,132

La Crosse, WI $60,132

Grand Forks, ND $60,113

Albuquerque, NM $60,094

Tulsa, OK $60,094

Newport News, VA $60,087

High Point, NC $60,068

Ogden, UT $60,043

Corpus Christi, TX $59,991

Laramie, WY $59,953

Norfolk, VA $59,953

Rock Island, IL $59,915

Saginaw, MI $59,902

Jacksonville, FL $59,896

Salisbury, NC $59,883

Memphis, TN $59,870

Moline, IL $59,838

Fort Myers, FL $59,819

Waterloo, IA $59,736

Spartanburg, SC $59,672

Lincoln, NE $59,640

Fort Wayne, IN $59,627

Birmingham, AL $59,557

Cedar Falls, IA $59,544

Provo, UT $59,538

Springfield, OH $59,531

San Antonio, TX $59,518

Greensboro, NC $59,493

South Bend, IN $59,487

Winston Salem, NC $59,480

Boise, ID $59,461

Savannah, GA $59,416

Muskegon, MI $59,301

Lima, OH $59,224

Lake Charles, LA $59,199

Anderson, IN $59,186

Lexington, KY $59,167

Augusta, GA $59,148

Greenville, SC $59,148

Wichita, KS $59,090

Tuscaloosa, AL $59,090

Columbia, SC $59,033

Bloomington, IN $58,873

Roanoke, VA $58,835

Asheville, NC $58,751

Knoxville, TN $58,643

Shreveport, LA $58,636

Wilmington, NC $58,553

Frankfort, KY $58,432

Oklahoma City, OK $58,387

Chillicothe, OH $58,362

Longview, TX $58,355

Topeka, KS $58,336

Mobile, AL $58,240

Terre Haute, IN $58,215

Erie, PA $58,208

Altoona, PA $58,176

Melbourne, FL $58,157

Amarillo, TX $58,132

Killeen, TX $58,112

Fayetteville, AR $58,061

Sioux Falls, SD $58,016

Chattanooga, TN $57,978

Idaho Falls, ID $57,972

Gainesville, FL $57,837

Portsmouth, OH $57,806

Little Rock, AR $57,793

Lynchburg, VA $57,793

Lafayette, LA $57,767

Youngstown, OH $57,767

Temple, TX $57,742

Daytona Beach, FL $57,729

Clarksville, TN $57,722

Pensacola, FL $57,716

Hopkinsville, KY $57,524

Charleston, WV $57,518

Florence, SC $57,486

Sioux City, IA $57,448

Macon, GA $57,262

Tallahassee, FL $57,256

Fayetteville, NC $57,243

Waco, TX $57,230

Wichita Falls, TX $57,230

Pine Bluff, AR $57,205

Vincennes, IN $57,083

Lubbock, TX $57,058

Great Falls, MT $57,019

Alamogordo, NM $57,013

Abilene, TX $56,962

Rapid City, SD $56,879

Monroe, LA $56,879

Albany, GA $56,840

Huntington, WV $56,834

Jackson, MS $56,828

Greenville, MS $56,821

Parkersburg, WV $56,757

Montgomery, AL $56,745

Johnstown, PA $56,732

Springfield, MO $56,681

Biloxi, MS $56,649

Sumter, SC $56,514

Columbus, GA $56,508

Twin Falls, ID $56,470

Pascagoula, MS $56,387

Kingsport, TN $56,220

Gulfport, MS $56,201

Alexandria, LA $55,990

Fort Smith, AR $55,831

El Paso, TX $55,658

Helena, MT $55,575

Las Cruces, NM $55,370

Harlingen, TX $55,191

Pocatello, ID $55,134

Florence, AL $55,115

Brownsville, TX $55,102

Dothan, AL $55,000

Mcallen, TX $54,968

Columbus, MS $54,495

Altus, OK $54,201

Lawton, OK $54,079

Pierre, SD $53,849

What Skills Can Increase a Fire Fighter's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Agility (Mentioned in 5.01% Job Postings): The ability to think quickly and clearly.
CPR (Mentioned in 5.28% Job Postings): Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) combines rescue breathing (mouth-to-mouth) and chest compressions to temporarily pump enough blood to the brain until specialized treatment is available.
Hydraulics (Mentioned in 1.79% Job Postings): Hydraulics is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Agility	5.01%
CPR	5.28%
Hydraulics	1.79%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Fire Fighter's salary.

Risk Management: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Risk Management	$67,112	5%
Innovation	$66,473	4%
Analysis	$65,833	3%
Leadership	$65,833	3%
Accountability	$65,833	3%
Dedication	$65,194	2%

Get Latest Data

Fire Fighter Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Fire Fighter's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on April 01, 2026

$57,736

Average $63,916/year

$70,724

$4,811

Average $5,326/month

$5,894

$1,110

Average $1,229/week

$1,360

$28

Average $31/hour

$34

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,724	$5,894	$1,360	$34
Average	$63,916	$5,326	$1,229	$31
25th Percentile	$57,736	$4,811	$1,110	$28

Salaries of jobs related to Fire Fighter

Salary Trends for Fire Fighter

Salaries for a Fire Fighter can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $44,519 in 2023 to around $44,454 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Fire Fighter salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Fire Fighter Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$44,519

2024

$44,816

2025

$44,454

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$44,519
2024	$44,816
2025	$44,454
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Fire Fighter

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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